Supportive device for stomach or gastric tube

ABSTRACT

The supportive device consists of a plastic tube of larger size than the stomach or gastric tube which it is to support, and an elastic band to surround the head of a patient and hold the plastic tube across his face, under the nose. The stomach or gastric tube is threaded into one end of the plastic tube, out an aperture near the nose, into a nostril and down into the stomach. The stomach or gastric tube is prevented from retracting by a wedge pressed into the entrance of the plastic tube, tightly wedging the stomach or gastric tube in place. The wedge is in turn held in place by the elastic band. Thus, the stomach or gastric tube cannot work loose or be easily pulled out by the patient.

United States Patent Manker 1 Mar, 14, 1972 [54] SUPPORTIVE DEVICE FORSTOMACEl 2,499,650 3/1950 Kaslow ..128/206 ()R GASTRIC TUBE 2,931,3584/1960 Sheridan ..l28/206 2,735,432 2/1956 Hudson ..l28/348 [72]Inventor: Loretta Manker, 7038 Bonnie Brae, Tucson, Ariz 85710 PrimaryExaminer-Dalton L. Truluck g 3 Attorney-James Eyster [21] Appl. No.:60,548 [57] ABSTRACT The supportive device consists of a plastic tube oflarger size [52] US. Cl. ..128/348, 128/D1G. 26, 128/206 than thestomach or gastric tubewhich it is to support, and an [51] Int. C1...A61m 25/00 elastic band o surround the head of a patient and hold the[58] Field of Search ..128/348, 350, 198,206,208, plastic tube acrosshis e. under the nose- The t ac or 123/1) 2 gastric tube is threadedinto one end of the plastic tube, out an aperture near the nose, into anostril and down into the [56] References Cited stomach. The stomach orgastric tube is prevented from retracting by a wedge pressed into theentrance of the plastic UNITED STATES PATENTS tube, tightly wedging thestomach or gastric tube in place. The wed e is in turn held in place bythe elastic band. Thus, the 3,161,199 12/1964 Sands ..128/348 stonfachor gastric tube cannot work loose or be easily pulled 2,831,487 4/1958Tafilaw .128/350 1R out by the patient 2,868,199 1/1959 Hudson ..l28/206217,711 7/1879 Shiland ..128/349 R 6 lClaims, 3 Drawing Figures PatentedMarch 14, 1972 3,648,703

LORETTA MANKE R INVENTOR SUPPORTIIVE DEVICE FOR STOMAClI-ll R GASTRICTUBE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the care ofpatients in a hospital or nursing home, and particularly to the use of atube passed through a nostril into the stomach for the purpose offeeding the patient or of pumping fluids from his stomach.

ln feeding a patient by stomach tube, common practice is to pass a clearplastic tube, about three-sixteenth inch in outside diameter, through anostril and into the stomach. The tube is then fastened to the patientsface near the nostril by adhesive tape, and the outer end of the tube isconnected to a bottle containing the sustagen which is to be fed intothe patients stomach.

A gastric tube used to remove fluids from a patients stomach is similarto the stomach tube, but usually larger in diameter. The gastric tube isinserted and secured in the same manner as the stomach tube.

In using either the stomach or gastric tube as described, peristalticmotions or movements of the patients body in bed may cause the tube tobe pulled partly out of the stomach. In the case of a conscious orsemiconscious patient, he may sueceed in partly or wholly removing thetube with his hand. Thus in common practice it is always necessary for anurse to watch the patient closely to see that the tube is notdislodged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention eliminates the need forstrapping the tube to the patients face with adhesive tape, secures thetube so near to the patients nostril as to eliminate the possibility offormation of a loop of tubing at that point, and holds the tubing sofirmly that it cannot be retracted or pulled out of the stomach byvoluntary or involuntary movements of the patient.

The invention comprises a plastic supportive tube, larger than the tubeto be inserted into the stomach, and an elastic tape. The supportivetube, about 8 inches long, is laid across the patients face, under hisnose, and held in place by the elastic tape, which is fastened to oneend of the supportive tube, passed around the patients head and fastenedto the other end of the supportive tube. The smaller tube to be passedinto the stomach is passed into one end of the supportive tube and outof an orifice therein close to one nostril of the patient. The smallertube is then passed through a nostril and into the patients stomach. Thesmaller tube is wedged where it enters the supportive tube and the wedgeis, in turn, held in place by the end of the elastic tape.

The stomach end of the smaller tube is split for a short distance tofacilitate stomach washing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A further understanding of theinvention may be secured from detailed description and the drawing, inwhich:

FIG. l is a general view of the supportive device.

FIG. 2 is a picture of the supportive device in place on a patient.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the entering end of the supportive tubeshowing the wedge and means of securing it.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, asupportive tube, 11, is made of plastic material, preferably of clear,flexible plastic such as polyvinyl. Another tube, 12, which may be astomach tube or gastric tube, is smaller in diameter than the supportivetube, so that the smaller tube can easily be slid inside the largertube. As examples of dimensions, the supportive tube could have anoutside diameter of three-eighths inch and a length of about 8 inches; astomach tube could have an outside diameter of three-sixteenths inch andbe long enough to reach from the sustagen bottle, through the supportivetube and the patients nostril to his stomach. Gastric tubes are somewhatlarger than stomach tubes but the diameter of the supportive tube 11 ismade large enough to take either kind, gastric or stomach. Since gastrictubes do not otherwise differ substantially from stomach tubes, gastrictubes are not illustrated.

The construction of the stomach and gastric tubes is not novel exceptfor one detail, which is a small split, 13, in the stomach end of thestomach and gastric tubes. The function of this split is, after feeding,when water is passed down the tube into the stomach, washing andclearing of the end of the tube from any sustagen is facilitated by thesmall split, which permits a small amount of flexing and distending ofthe tube walls at the exit end.

The supportive tube 11 is provided with a tab or ear, l4 and 16, at eachend. Each tab is provided with a slot or elongated aperture, 17 and lb.An elastic tape, 119, is threaded through the slots. At slot 13 the tapeis terminated in a knot, 21, or otherwise prevented from pulling out ofthe slot. At slot 17 the tape is passed through one end of a shortlength of plastic tubing, 22, termed a wedge, and then is knotted at 23or otherwise prevented from pulling out of the tubing 22.

The plastic tubing 22 may, for example, have the diameter in thisillustration of three-sixteenth inch and have a length of about 1 inch.It may, in fact, consist of the same kind of tubing as used in makingthe exampled stomach tube.

The supportive tube 11 is also provided, approximately but not exactlyat a spot halfway between its ends, with an elongated aperture 24L Thisaperture is large enough to accommodate either a stomach tube or agastric tube, so that, when the tube 12 is inserted in the nearer orentrance end of the supportive tube 11, at tab M, the tube ll2 caneasily be pushed through the supportive tube ill and out through thelarge slot 24l, to assume the position illustrated in FIG. ll.

In using this invention, the supportive tube II is passed across theface of the patient under his nose, as shown in FIG. 2, with the elastictape, 19, passed above the ears and around the head to hold the tube 11firmly in place. The stomach or gastric tube, for example a stomach tube12, is passed into a nostril of the patient, as shown at 26, and downinto his stomach.

The aperture 24, FIG. I, is designed to be slightly off-center so that,when the stomach tube is passed through aperture 24 into the nostrilwhich is nearer to the aperture, there is minimum length of stomach tubebetween the aperture and the nostril. This is important to prevent theformation of a loop at this point, thus preventing the tube from workingout of the stomach.

If it is desired to employ the other nostril for insertion of thestomach tube, the entire device can be reserved so that the aperture 24becomes adjacent to the other nostril.

The supportive tube firmly holds the stomach tube at the selectednostril, thus taking the place and performing the function heretoforeperformed in common practice by a piece of tape. The short piece oftubing 22, FIG. I, termed a wedge, is now inserted in the supportivetube end adjacent to tab M, FIGS. l and 2, and pressed in so that thestomach tube 12 and the supportive tube Ill are firmly wedged or lockedtogether by friction at this point. This prevents the peristaltic actionof the bowels from working the stomach tube out of its position in thestomach.

This locking action of the wedge is more clearly shown in FIG. 3, inwhich the wedge 22 is shown in place. The elastic tape, 19, is threadedthrough the tab slot 17 and through a slot 27 in the wedge 22, then isknotted. Thus tension on the elastic tape 19 as it holds the supportivetube II in place also draws the wedge 22 close to the tab 14, so thatthe wedge is prevented from slipping out or being dislodged.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination comprising:

a stomach tube;

supportive means for said stomach tube comprising a supportive tube ofpliable plastic material large enough in bore to enclose said stomachtube and at least long enough to stretch under a patients nose andnearly from car to ear, and having an aperture near its middle largeenough to accommodate the exit from the supportive tube of said stomachtube, said stomach tube passing into one end of said supportive tube andout of the middle aperture thereof, so that the stomach tube may then bethreaded into a nostril of the patient and into his stomach; an elasticelongated member secured at each end respectively to an end of saidsupportive means, and having a stretched length sufficient to go aroundthe back of said patients head, whereby the supportive means may be heldin front of the patients face by the elastic elongated member positionedbehind the patients head; and means securing said stomach tube to thesaid supportive means whereby the stomach tube cannot easily be freedfrom said supportive means by a conscious or unconscious patient.

2. A combination in accordance with claim 1 in which said supportivetube is provided at each end with an aperture whereby an end of saidelastic elongated member may be secured in one said aperture, passedaround the patients head and secured in the other aperture.

3. A combination in accordance with claim 1 in which said means securingthe stomach tube to the supportive tube comprises a pliable elongatedwedge having a width at one end suitable to enter one end of thesupportive tube while the stomach tube is therein.

4. A combination in accordance with claim 3 in which said wedge isprovided at one end with an aperture sufficiently large to accommodatesaid elastic elongated member, whereby, with the wedge in place in thesupportive tube, when the elastic elongated member is passed through oneof the apertures in the supportive tube, then is passed through thewedge aperture and then is knotted, the tension of the elastic elongatedmember prevents removal of the wedge by a patient, in turn preventingwithdrawal of the stomach tube from the patients stomach.

5. In the combination of a supportive device with a patients stomach orgastric tube:

a supportive tube of pliable, transparentplastic material large enoughin bore .to enclose said stomach or gastric tube and long enough tostretch under a patients nose and nearly from ear to ear, and having anaperture near its middle large enough to accommodate a stomach orgastric tube, and having an elongated tab at each end containing a slot,said stomach or gastric tube entering one end of said supportive tubeand exiting from said middle aperture thereof, whereby when in place ona patient the exiting stomach or gastric tube may enter a nostril andpass to the stomach of the patient;

an elastic tape secured through said slots in the supportive tube tabsand having a stretched length sufficient to go around the back of saidpatients head, whereby said supportive tube is held to the patientsface; and

a wedge consisting of a short length of plastic tubing of approximatelythe diameter of said stomach tube, said wedge containing a slot near oneend, said wedge being positioned in one end of said supportive tubewedged in the bore thereof beside said stomach or gastric tube, thewedge having its slotted end outermost, the end of said elastic tapepassing through both the slot in said supportive tube and the slot insaid wedge, then knotted so that it cannot be withdrawn from the slots.

6. A combination in accordance with claim 5 including an opening orsplit in the stomach end of said stomach or gastric tube, whereby duringirrigation particle dislodgment from the tube is facilitated.

1. The combination comprising: a stomach tube; supportive means for saidstomach tube comprising a supportive tube of pliable plastic materiallarge enough in bore to enclose said stomach tube and at least longenough to stretch under a patient''s nose and nearly from ear to ear,and having an aperture near its middle large enough to accommodate theexit from the supportive tube of said stomach tube, said stomach tubepassing into one end of said supportive tube and out of the middleaperture thereof, so that the stomach tube may then be threaded into anostril of the patient and into his stomach; an elastic elongated membersecured at each end respectively to an end of said supportive means, andhaving a stretched length sufficient to go around the back of saidpatient''s head, whereby the supportive means may be held in front ofthe patient''s face by the elastic elongated member positioned behindthe patient''s head; and means securing said stomach tube to the saidsupportive means whereby the stomach tube cannot easily be freed fromsaid supportive means by a conscious or unconscious patient.
 2. Acombination in accordance with claim 1 in which said supportive tube isprovided at each end with an aperture whereby an end of said elasticelongated member may be secured in one said aperture, passed around thepatient''s head and secured in the other aperture.
 3. A combination inaccordance with claim 1 in which said means securing the stomach tube tothe supportive tube comprises a pliable elongated wedge having a widthat one end suitable to enter one end of the supportive tube while thestomach tube is therein.
 4. A combination in accordance with claim 3 inwhich said wedge is provided at one end with an aperture sufficientlylarge to accommodate said elastic elongated member, whereby, with thewedge in place in the supportive tube, when the elastic elongated memberis passed through one of the apertures in the supportive tube, then ispassed through the wedge aperture and then is knotted, the tension ofthe elastic elongated member prevents removal of the wedge by a patient,in turn preventing withdrawal of the stomach tube from the patient''sstomach.
 5. In the combination of a supportive device with a patient''sstomach or gastric tube: a supportive tube of pliable, transparentplastic material large enough in bore to enclose said stomach or gastrictube and long enough to stretch under a patient''s nose and nearly fromear to ear, and having an aperture near its middle large enough toaccommodate a stomach or gastric tube, and having an elongated tab ateach end containing a slot, said stomach or gastric tube entering oneend of said supportive tube and exiting from said middle aperturethereof, whereby when in place on a patient the exiting stomach orgastric tube may enter a nostril and pass to the stomach of the patient;an elastic tape secured through said slots in the supportive tube tabsand having a stretched length sufficient to go around the back of saidpatient''s head, whereby said supportive tube is hEld to the patient''sface; and a wedge consisting of a short length of plastic tubing ofapproximately the diameter of said stomach tube, said wedge containing aslot near one end, said wedge being positioned in one end of saidsupportive tube wedged in the bore thereof beside said stomach orgastric tube, the wedge having its slotted end outermost, the end ofsaid elastic tape passing through both the slot in said supportive tubeand the slot in said wedge, then knotted so that it cannot be withdrawnfrom the slots.
 6. A combination in accordance with claim 5 including anopening or split in the stomach end of said stomach or gastric tube,whereby during irrigation particle dislodgment from the tube isfacilitated.